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thanks you everyone for your thoughtful replies. i certainly don't want to quit, that's for sure. it is mighty hard however to treat one's employees well and have them leave after three-four year for .25 more an hour.
Paul said above: "Throwing money at won't work, you have to make them feel that they are making a contribution to the company and getting something out of it. How many here remember their employee son's or daughters birthday? or their wifes birthday? Ever think of giving them a gift check for a restaurant? How about even talking to them about family life?"
i used to truly believe this. i had one guy who had been over to my house many times, his kids played with mine, he ghot all the time off he needed to take his kids to the doc, etc. and he just decided to take a job at a few cents more an hour, with no notice whatsoever. i wonder if it matters truly how you treat your employees sometimes....
not that i don' like "people", but i have always disliked the human resources aspect of most jobs that i've had. or perhaps i just don't have a well -developed instinct to hire quality people. and i don't know if that's something that i can "sub out" to someone else.
on the plus side, we remain busy, with some very good projects. i will just have to be in the field a bit more than i should be for the time being.
the work is out there for the taking for us landscape business owners - this is a great biz to be in. i really think that the ones who master employee development will be the ones in it fo rthe long haul.
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